Reviews - Him | The StoryGraph

73 reviews for:

Him

Clare Empson

3.79 AVERAGE

jlksmith0828's review against another edition

4.0

emotional reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Loveable characters: Yes

alysiajuanita's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

zoe42's review against another edition

4.25

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

babaks's review against another edition

2.0

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

mcmotherpants's review against another edition

3.5

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

faye_v's review against another edition

3.0

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

daffieonline75's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

lori85's review against another edition

4.0

emotional sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

So it looks like this is being marketed as a thriller, which is really doing it a tremendous disservice by leading readers to expect something high-stakes, fast-paced, and "twisty." It's actually a more literary tale of love, obsession, betrayal, manipulation, and the abuse of privilege - what F. Scott Fitzgerald summed up as how "they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made."

The story also doesn't have the happy ending people tend to expect from a thriller, particularly of the domestic variety. The villain lives, even if he does lose everything, and one of the protagonists dies.

Overall I found it to be a good middle ground for someone who likes domestic mystery and drama, but without the adrenaline.

Note: the content warnings for this book contain a major spoiler.

Content Warnings